My journey to Ashtanga Yoga

"...with every person we harm, we really hurt only ourselves. Every being is on a quest for happiness of some form or another; others are not so different from us that we need to violate them. The wish to hurt is usually born from not acknowledging that what we see in them is ourselves. The idea of restraint is to enable us to live in harmony with the community around us. If we do not stick to those rules we create conflict. In an atmosphere of conflict it is difficult to practice yoga. Not only are harmful actions toward others based on afflictions such as ignorance, egoism, and aversion, but they also produce new subconscious imprints of violence. For example, if we abuse somebody once, it becomes easier for us to do it again. The hurdle for repetition has been lowered. If we have initiated a domestic fight with our partner, we have laid, via imprint, the foundation for its repetition. It is more likely now that it will happen again. A serial killer, having gotten away with murd...

  " Especially the opening of the sixth (third eye) and the seventh (crown) chakras can lead to perception of things so powerful that it can be like the opening of Pandora’s box. To stay on the safe side we first have to become a fully integrated and mature human being, which is achieved by opening chakras two, three, and four. Especially opening the fourth, the heart chakra, enables us to relate to others and ourselves from a position  of love. Not to open these chakras is like building the walls and roof of a house without putting in the foundations first. It is prescribed therefore that one does the groundwork first, establishing oneself in the lower four limbs, which has a solidifying effect. There are certain problems associated with the other end of the ladder, though. For example the practice of asana bestows certain powers, which can lead to an increase of I-am-ness or ego (ahamkara). Practicing to look good in the postures, to be better than others, to increase self w...

 "These lessons - we call them experiences - are not predominantly pleasant, but they have the right mixture of pleasure and pain to help us eventually go beyond both." "One gives up one´s conditioning. Once it has been given up, and has released its grip on the observer, it will never again return. The observer now spontaneously rests in the present moment, without any limiting past conditioning. This spontaneous freedom, though...." "A schizophrenic person, from the yogic point of view, is not mad, but sees too much and cannot integrate it." quotes from "Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy" by "Gregor Maehle"

After the summer holidays, once I had managed to organize the schedule of my two daughters, I started visiting the yoga shala again — twice a week. At first, I went alone; later, I was joined by some of my good friends. Each visit, each day, each practice felt different. This was not just a physical experience — it was a union of body and mind. It seemed to bring to the surface the hidden limits of the subconscious and invite me to explore them with awareness. Trusting the teacher allows you to go further — to discover your boundaries, to improve, to release. It’s almost magical. A gift for the body. A gift for the mind. A gift for the soul. The fellow practitioners become like soulmates; the teachers, gentle and caring presences. Through their guidance, adjustments, and quiet encouragement, they make you feel that we are all in this together — breathing, growing, and discovering. Sometimes our breaths even synchronize, creating a shared rhythm — a pulse that unites us. Hours a...

In May, a good friend of mine persuaded me to join Ashtanga classes at a yoga studio in my neighborhood. I’m always open to trying new things, and since I was starting to feel a bit tired of my usual Pilates and fitness courses, I decided to give it a try. I can’t recall every detail from that first day — only two moments have stayed vividly in my memory. When I entered the studio, I was immediately struck by a sense of calm. It reminded me of my old music lessons, where I could completely escape from reality and feel deeply at peace. There was a soft, continuous sound — like ocean waves or wind — something familiar but unrecognizable. I imagined it must have come from some kind of advanced air system or ionizers keeping the atmosphere clean. My imagination was running wild. Then I realized: it was the sound of breathing. The collective breath of the practitioners created this soothing rhythm that filled the room. I couldn’t believe it at first — how could simple breathing produce such...

I’ve practiced yoga a few times in my life — probably around 20 to 30 sessions in total. When I was living in Zurich, I used to attend classes at the ASVZ with Gabriel and other teachers. It was always a really nice experience, and I enjoyed it a lot. What I realized, though, was that I’d probably never be able to do everything the instructor could do — and that’s perfectly okay. I had yoga in mind like another type of exercise. Smoother, but very dynamic and was good for the body.